The state of your lawn says a lot about you. Despite it being an open area, your lawn is an extension of your home. The way you value and care for it says a lot about the kind of homeowner you are.
Your lawn can make or break first impressions. If you like having people around, hosting dinners and inviting family and friends over for some fun time, having a beautiful and inviting lawn will make a great first impression. Especially if you have a family and children, your lawn becomes both a playground and an outdoor entertainment place where the whole family can enjoy some quality fun time playing games or engaging in some other fun activities.
Now that summer is just around the corner, lawn maintenance is essential. Taking care of your lawn is not as difficult as it seems. It requires some periodic maintenance. However, the more regular you are, the less maintenance will be required in the longer run.
In this article, we’d like to get you acquainted with essential tips for keeping a healthy lawn in summer. Following this guide will keep your lawn beautiful and healthy year-round.
Watering the lawn
Water is essential to a lush lawn. If you want your lawn to grow healthy and green, watering it from time to time will be your responsibility. As temperatures can rise quite high during the summer season, the grass may shrivel up and die without frequent precipitations. But if you overdo watering, the grass may die of over-saturation. So, watering has to be done in moderation. Mornings, before 10 am, is the best time to water your lawn. Evaporation is minimal at those hours, and the turf will stay cooler during the hottest hours of the day. This is essential to a beautiful and healthy lawn.
Mowing the lawn
Mowing is one of the most important practices you cannot overlook if you want to have a healthy and visually appealing lawn. Regular mowing will help develop strong grass leaving weak shoots behind. It will make the turf more resistant to environmental stresses, and there will be fewer weeds growing on it. At the same time, regular mowing will make your lawn look more appealing to the eye and the envy of the block. Grass tends to grow patchy and uneven, and mowing will cut the grass to a uniform level, facilitating even growth in the future.
The secret to mowing a perfect lawn is following certain tips like adjusting the cutting height to suit the weather and season. During the hottest months, raise the blade to allow the grass to grow longer. This should be done at the beginning and the end of the season. Don’t mow when the grass is sodden, only when it’s dry to avoid ruts in your lawn.
Sowing grass seeds
If you want a naturally lush lawn, you might want to plant grass seeds. You can also sow grass seeds in areas where weak shoots affect the appearance of your lawn. This will promote root growth and make the turf more resistant to weather conditions like drought. Sowing grass seeds will also facilitate access to nutrients from the soil. The best timing to plant grass seeds depends on the type of grass and your grass growing region.
Before sowing grass seeds, make sure to prepare the ground and kill any weeds by hand or using a weedkiller. Improve garden soil by adding nutrients in the form of compost or fertilizer. Sow grass seeds by hand or using a lawn spreader. Water the seedbed regularly to keep roots moist.
Removing weeds
Weeds are an eyesore. Besides visually affecting the appearance, they also have a negative impact on the health of your lawn. Weeds usually soak up all nutrients from the soil, therefore affecting your lawn’s natural growth. As a result of weed invasion, your lawn can develop a multitude of conditions such as pest infestation, certain diseases, and more. There will be nothing left of your once green oasis if you don’t get rid of the killer weeds.
Although pulling weeds by hand seems to be a faster option and generally a more straightforward process, it still requires following a set of guidelines to make sure that weeds are gone for good. You have to grab the weeds by the base and pull their roots out. Otherwise, you will end up snapping the weed in two with roots still in the ground, therefore, allowing it to grow back.
Using a lawn fertilizer
Over time, your lawn will start losing nutrients that are essential to a lush lawn. To prevent this thing from happening, you can choose to fertilize your lawn. Lawn fertilization can benefit your lawn in a range of ways. It will get rid of weeds, make the lawn better resistant to different kinds of diseases and pests, improve overall grass growth and accessibility to nutrients. As a result, your lawn will become the envy of the block and impress all passers-by.
Fertilizing your lawn is an easy process and normally doesn’t take more than 20 minutes. You can choose between a liquid or dry fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer around the perimeter firstly and then in the middle walking back and forth in straight lines to cover all the area.
Every homeowner wants to have a beautiful lawn all year-round, but growing it lush and healthy and keeping it that way is your own responsibility. Although it requires regular maintenance, especially during the warmer seasons, it is not as complicated as it may seem. It is a great opportunity to involve your big family in a fun activity to prep your lawn for summer by removing weeds, mowing and watering the lawn or even spreading seeds onto the soil for a perfectly lush lawn. The results will not take too long to show up.
